On the evening of August 24th, sponsored by the Foreign Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality and hosted by CRI Online, the 2nd “Beijing · A Global City” Short Video Contest was officially launched at the cooling tower of Big Air Shougang in Shougang Park. At the invitation of the organizer and China Public Diplomacy Association, more than 30 foreign reporters from over 20 countries, including South Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan, attended the launch ceremony. Before that, they attended the first filming event themed “Beijing Winter Olympics and New Landmarks in Urban Renewal”.

Recording colorful urban development through the lens and showing the international image of the capital of a great power in light and shadow, the Contest focuses on providing services for major domestic diplomatic activities, improving the functional facilities system, attracting international high-end elements, optimizing the international service environment, etc. Centering on “Beijing · A Global City”, it widely collects excellent short videos in order to display Beijing’s achievements in promoting the functional construction of an international exchange center in a multi-faceted, multi-element and multi-dimensional way, thereby promoting the international image of Beijing in a real, three-dimensional and comprehensive manner, and welcoming the successful convening of the 20th CPC National Congress with practical actions.

The reporters interviewed guests and media reporters at the filming site. Xing Fangfang, Counsellor of the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “Big Air Shougang hadn’t been built when I was last here. This time, I was very shocked to see such earth-shaking changes in the place where “two gold medals” were born. In particular, from the starting point of Big Air, I could feel the tension of the Winter Olympics athletes while also appreciating the thriving beauty of Shougang Park from a height. It was refreshing and beautiful.”

Nelson Kiva, a journalist from Uganda’s New Vision, said, “This is my first visit to Beijing, and I’m very excited to come to Shougang Park. For me, this is a wonderful experience, and I’ve been sharing with my colleagues the stories I’ve seen and heard about it. It also has the special charm of being the venue of the Winter Olympics. We’re enjoying this process very much.”

Abdurakhmanova Albina, a reporter from the Caspian International Broadcasting Company of Azerbaijan, said, “Before visiting Shougang Park, I learned all about it from the Internet. Today, I came to the site to learn its history and stories, and experience its beauty. From the old industrial factory to the Winter Olympics venue and a beautiful park, Shougang shows us how human beings can change.”

Ntsikelelo Qoyo, a reporter from the Arena Group in South Africa, said, “This is a very beautiful and clean park. I’m very excited to see Big Air Shougang. I’ve never seen an industrial park before. Today, I’m glad to visit it and learn about its history and culture.”

Leana Beatrice Bernardo, a reporter from the People’s Television Network in the Philippines, said, “This is an interesting place. It was transformed from a steel production factory into the venue of the 2022 Winter Olympics, and captured the world’s attention. I’ve done some research before, but today, after learning about the history here, I find it even more interesting and attractive. This is the first time that I’ve seen and felt closely that a factory has become a park and commercial place, saving space and resources. The transformation and development here provide good references for other countries.”

Emrul Kayesh, a special reporter from Bangla Vision TV, said, “I’m very excited to visit here because the 2022 Winter Olympics was held here. From China’s famous steel mill in the last century to today’s tourism and sports park, its changes are incredible. It’s not only a place to travel and relax, but also to learn about the history of China’s industrial development. This is an unforgettable memory for me.”

At the launch ceremony, the solicitation notices and contest theme music were released, and appointment letters were issued to the expert judges. The winning representatives of the first contest (winning teams of the National Grand Theatre and Beijing University of Technology), Zhang Zhizhou, professor at the School of International Relations, Beijing Foreign Studies University, and Justyna Szpakowska, Polish media planner, shared their views on “Beijing · A Global City” and short video creation.

According to reports, the organizer will continue to organize a series of offline themed filming events to vividly and stereoscopically display the new achievements of Beijing in promoting the functional construction of an international exchange center.